Many of the major American retailers for Big Finish products have noticed a recent delay in getting titles. This is due to negotiations that are going on between Big Finish and The Ministry of Sound and Vision, their North American distributor. Many retailers are affected by this delay, and subscribers should be aware that they are working on the problem. Some websites, such as Who North America and DoctorWhoStore.com, have recieved copies of the missing stories directly from Big Finish. This follows on the decision made earlier this year to make special releases and subscriber extras available exclusively to those who subscribe directly from Big Finish.

For those of you in the US and Canada, the Tenth Doctor novel The Price of Paradise by Colin Brake will be available at your local comic book retailer this Wednesday December 6th. If they don't have a copy, ask them to order you one from Diamond Distributing (item #SEP063808).

TV Shows on DVD is reporting that November 7 will see the DVD release ofThe Hand of Fear starring Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen and Mark of the Rani starring Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Anthony Ainley and Kate O'Mara. Both DVD sets will be released in the UK slightly earlier in the year, with the North American releases duplicating their features (which are available on the site's Release Guide).

The TV Shows on DVD website reports that Warner Home Video, in addition to their July 4 DVD release of "The Complete First Season" in North America, will issue four individual releases of the first season (in four volumes) in the UMD format, designed for Playstation (PSP) systems. "The Complete First Season: Volume One" through "Volume Four" are also due out on July 4, the same day as the DVD release. (Thanks to David Lambert/TV Shows on DVD)

Ratings for the broadcast of the first season finale on the Sci Fi Channel, The Parting of the Ways, in America are in: the telecast scored a 1.14 household rating with an average of 1.4 million viewers. According to Outpost Gallifrey's source at the Sci Fi Channel, the first full season of the series averaged a 1.26 household rating, with an average audience of 1.5 million views. (Some other statistics for the season: the audience was 63% male, with a median age of 46 years, and scored a 1.00 rating in men ages 18-49 and a 0.62 rating in men 18-34.)

Though the ratings for the broadcast of the first series seem to have been lower than expected, that now doesn't appear to be the case. As reported at the Sci Fi Channel's own news service, Sci Fi Wire, "the new updated Doctor Who boosted SCI FI Channel's ratings on Friday nights by double digits, the network reported. The new version of Doctor Who, produced by the BBC, wrapped its first season on SCI FI on June 9. Doctor Who averaged a 1.3 household rating and 1.5 million total viewers in its 9 p.m. Friday timeslot, a 44 percent increase in ratings and a 54 percent increase in viewership over the same timeslot in the second quarter last year. In key demographics, Doctor Who averaged 778,000 viewers aged 18-49, a 57 percent increase over 2005, and 942,000 viewers aged 25-54, a 56 percent increase." The Futon Critic, a respected source of industry and media news noted the "double-digit ratings growth this quarter on Fridays from 9pm to 10pm versus the time period last year," referring to the fact that Doctor Who was a broadcast original for the network in a time period (March to June) when it normally shows reruns. (Until this series broadcast, Sci Fi's original Friday night series -- Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica -- broadcast in two halves, July through September for the first half of each season, and then January to March for the second half.)

What does this mean for Series Two? A pop-culture website called ICV2 today stated that "The second season will kick off in the U.S. on Sci Fi Channel in October." However, this appears to be simple speculation on the part of the website; Sci Fi has not announced any plans to purchase the second season of the series at this time, although it's a foregone conclusion that if it did, October would be a likely timeframe for it to be shown (as the Stargate shows end their half-season runs in September, while Galactica returns in October, presumably in its regular 10pm timeslot... with, theoretically, space for Doctor Who to run before each new episode at 9pm.) Outpost Gallifrey will keep you posted.

Ratings for the twelfth episode of the first season of the new series, Bad Wolf, on US television on the Sci Fi Channel, have come in: the telecast dropped a bit to a 1.02 household rating with an average of 1.3 million viewers, down from the previous broadcast ("Boom Town") two weeks before and the smallest average audience to date for a Doctor Who original this season. The show was on a week-long hiatus, with viewers possibly tuning out after the lack of a broadcast the week before. Season-to-date, Sci Fi reports that Doctor Who is currently averaging a 1.27 household rating and an average audience of 1.5 million viewers for the season. The season finale airs this Friday, June 9.

Ratings for the tenth episode of the first season of the new series, Boom Town, on US television on the Sci Fi Channel, have come in: the telecast dropped a bit to a 1.03 with an average of 1.2 million viewers, down approximately 200,000 viewers from the previous week. Season-to-date, Sci Fi reports that Doctor Who is currently averaging a 1.28 household rating and an average audience of 1.5 million viewers for the season. The show will not air this Friday due to the US Memorial Day weekend holiday, but will return on Friday, June 2.

Ratings for the tenth episode of the first season of the new series, The Doctor Dances, on US television on the Sci Fi Channel, have come in: the telecast had a slightly improved household rating this week of 1.09 with an average of 1.4 million viewers, up nearly a quarter of a million viewers from the previous week's season low. Season-to-date, Sci Fi reports that Doctor Who is currently averaging a 1.30 household rating and an average audience of 1.5 million viewers for the season.

Ratings for the ninth episode of the first season of the new series, The Empty Child, on US television on the Sci Fi Channel, have come in: the telecast had a household rating of 1.04 with an average of 1.2 million viewers, a drop of a tenth of a million viewers and the lowest broadcast of the new season to date. (The broadcast took place on Cinco de Mayo, however, with viewing levels possibly affected in the evening; ratings on the broadcast networks were also noticeably down that night.) Season-to-date, Sci Fi reports that Doctor Who is currently averaging a 1.29 household rating and an average audience of 1.5 million viewers for the season.